1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographing device and a method of controlling the photographing device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photographing device which photographs a subject, and a method of controlling the photographing device which can easily determine an appropriate distance between each target subject face and can perform photographing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras generate an image file by using a photographed image and store the image file in a memory. In this manner, digital cameras do not use a film such as that utilized in analog film cameras. As a result, digital cameras are not so expensive with respect to photographing an image as compared to traditional analog film cameras. In other words, if a digital camera has a memory with a large capacity, then it can photograph and store a large number of images. Also, digital cameras can transmit images stored in a memory to a computer or a web server via a connecting medium or a network so that the computer or the web server can store the images. As a result of such advantages, digital cameras have rapidly become widespread among general users.
General users of digital cameras desire digital cameras to be more convenient to use. They also desire sharper photographed pictures. Research and development with the aim of satisfying such user desires has been actively conducted, resulting in the development of face recognition technology for a portrait picture.
This face recognition technology has been improved to increase face detection techniques and face detection speed. More particularly, this face recognition technology has been developed to improve general face recognition techniques such as a face detection techniques, a search success rate according to left and right angles of a face, the number of searchable faces from among many target subjects, and the like.
Because digital cameras are frequently utilized to photograph human subjects, such face recognition technology can be usefully employed to select and to automatically focus a human subject deemed important to a user from among many human subjects. Conventionally, face recognition technology is utilized to simply select and to automatically focus such an important subject from among a plurality of subjects. For example, face recognition technology has improved in order to focus the functional development of face recognition techniques in ways such as the improvement of rapid subject recognition, development of standards regarding selection of a subject from among various subjects, and the like. According to recent developments, by utilizing face recognition technology, a user can focus a face and simultaneously perform autofocus (AF), auto white balance (AWB), or auto exposure (AE). This enables the user to obtain sharp portrait pictures. Accordingly, there is a current demand for the even further development of various techniques using face recognition technology.